Connector



CONNECTOR Filed Oct. 26, 1942 3 In 2 5 4 153 .5 N T T9 7 5 2 I it; GifLB i A 3 V I Y 2 I I a I I 10 mus/v roe /P0Y 6. GRAHAM Arrow/5y H Patented June I, 1943 CONNECTOR Roy G. Graham, St. Louis, Mo., assignor to James R. Kearney Corporation, St.,Louis, Md, a corporation of Missouri Application October 26, 1942, Serial No. 463,310

6; Claims.

This invention relates generally to connecting devices and more specifically to connectors of the type adapted for use in mechanically and electrically connecting electrical conductors, the predominant object of the invention being to provide a connector of this type which is of simple construction and arrangement and is capable of convenient application to conductors, and which when in use performs its intended function in a highly efiicient manner.

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the improved connector showing same in operative association with a pair of electrical conductors.

Fig. 2 is a section taken on line 2-2 of Fig. 1 and looking in the direction indicated by the arrows.

Fig. 3 is a section taken on line 3--3 of Fig. l and looking in the direction indicated by the arrows.

Fig. 4 illustrates a modified form of the inand looking in the direction indicated by the arrows.

Fig. 6 is a section taken on line 6-6 of Fig. 4 and. looking in the direction indicated by the arrows.

In the drawing, wherein are shown for the purpose of illustration, merely, two embodiments of the invention, A designates, generally, in Figs. 1, 2, and 3, the connector illustrated therein. The connector A includes a body member I which comprises an elongated shank portion la, which is shown as being of generally circular crosssectional shape, although said shank portion may be otherwise shaped as desired. At one of its ends the body member is provided with a head portion lb which is preferably of non-circular shape in cross-section, said head portion being illustrated as having a plurality of angularly related tool-receiving faces. By preference the shank portion la and the head portion lb are formed integrally, and at the end of said shank portion opposite to the end thereof at which the head portion lb is located, a portion of the shank is upset to provide a substantially annular abutment lc which serves a function to be hereinafter set forth.

. The body member I has formed therein a pair of opposed grooves 2 and 3 which extend continuously from end to end thereof, with portions of said grooves formed in the head portion lb of said body member and portions of said grooves formed in the shank portion of said body member. The grooves 2 and 3 are open throughout their lengths at opposed portions of the outer surface of the body member I, and said grooves are also open at the opposite ends of the body member. By reference to Figs. 2 and 3 it will be noted that the groove 2 is wider and deeper than the groove 3, but because the sizes of the grooves are dictated by the sizes of the conductors to be connected with the aid of the connector such sizes of the grooves may be varied as desired.

Mounted for rotation on the shank portion la of the body member I is a clamping member 4 which in shape resembles the head portion lb of the body member I in that it is provided with a plurality of angularly related tool-receiving faces. The clamping member 4 is provided with a bore through which the shank portion lb of the body member extends, the face of said bore being smooth, as is the outer surface of the shank portion of the body member except for the presence of the grooves 2 and 3. The clamping member 4 is split, being provided with an opening 5 which extends from an outer surface portion of said clamping member to the bore thereof, and said clamping member is formed from material which is possessed of sufiicient resiliency to permit said clamping member to expand and contract slightly. The clamping member 4. is

mounted on the shank portion of the body member in interposed relation with respect to the head portion lb of said body member and the upset end portion lc of the shank portion thereof the latter portion being produced. after the clamping member has been applied to the shank portion of the body member and serving as an abutment which prevents displacement of the clamping member from the body member.

In describing the use of the improved cone nector A it will be assumed that it is desired to mechanically and electrically connect to the conductor Ca the conductor Cb. In order to effect such connection the clamping member 4 is rotated about the shank portion of the body member l to bring the opening 5 of said clamping member in alinement with the groove 2 of the body member. With the parts of the connector so disposed the connector is passed onto the conductor so as to cause the conductor to be seated in the groove 2. The clamping member 4 is then rotated with respect to the shank portion of the body member to bring the opening 5 thereof in alinement with the groove 3 of the body member, whereupon the conductor Cb, is passed through the opening of the clamping member and is seated in the groove 3. The clamping member 2 l h v 4 is then rotated through an angle of 90 to bring the opening 5 of said clamping member 4 to a position, as shown to good advantage in Fig. 3, where it is completely out of alinement with both of the grooves 2 and 3.

It is to be noted that the depths of the grooves 2 and 3 are such, with respect to the diameters of conductors which said grooves are designed to receive, that conductors seated in said grooves extend outwardly slightly beyond the normal curvature of the surface of the shank portion of the body member I. As a result of this situation the split clamping member is expanded slightly when, upon rotation of the clamping member with respect to the body member, the face of the bore of said clamping member clampingly engages said conductors, and as a consequence of this situation the resiliency possessed by the clamping member, which tends to restore the clamping member to its normal unexpanded condition, causes the conductors to be very securely gripped between the face of the bore of the clamping member and the bases of the grooves in which they are seated.

The conductors connected by the connector A illustrated in Figs. 1, 2, and 3, are arranged in substantially parallel arrangement and in order to connect conductors so that they wiil extend in a substantial rectangular relation, the connector B illustrated in Figs. 4, 5, and 6 is provided. The connector B includes a body member 6 provided with a pair of shank portions to and 8b which are extended at a substantial right angle with respect to each other and which are joined by a curved intermediate portion to. The body member 6 of the connector B i provided with opposed grooves i and 8 which serve the function of the grooves 2 and 3 of the connector A of Figs. 1, 2, and 3, and the shank portion 8a and 6b of the body member 5 have mounted thereon for rotation a pair of split, clamping members 9 and H? which are made in accordance with the clamping member 4 of the connector A shown in Figs.- 1, 2, and 3.

' In the use of the connector B the clamping member 8 is rotated relative to the shank portion to of the body member ii to bring the opening 9 of said clamping member into alinement with the groove 1 whereupon the connector is applied to the conductor Cc so as to cause said conductor to be seated in the groove '1 of the body member of the connector. The clamping member 9 is then rotated to move the opening 9 thereof out of alinement with respect to the groove 'l of the body member with the result that the conductor will be clampingly engaged between the face of the bore of the clamping member and the base of the groove '1. Likewise, when the conductor C03 is applied to the connector the clamping member it is rotated relative to the shank portion 629 of the body member 6 to bring the opening IE of said clamping member into alinement with the groove 8 of the body member. The conductor Cd is then seated in the groove 8 and the clamping member is rotated to move the opening IQ of said clamping member out of alinement with respect to the groove 8 and thereby cause the conductor Cd to be clampingly engaged between the face of the bore of the clamping member 19 and the base of the groove 3.

I claim: a

1. A connector comprising a body member provided with a groove formed therein which is open at the outer surface of said body member, said groove being adapted to receive a conductor having a diameter slightly greater than the depth of said groove in order that the conductor received by the groove will extend outwardly beyond the groove a slight distance, and a split clamping member possessing resiliency which is mounted for rotation on said body member, said clamping member being provided with a bore through which a portion of said body member extends and an elongated opening which extends transversely of the wall of said clamping member from the outer surface thereof to said bore, the wall of said bore of the clamping member and the surface portion of the body member with which said bore wall contacts for rotary movement with respect thereto being substantially parallel relative to the axis of the body member, said clamping member being rotatable relative to the body member to bring the opening thereof into alinement with the groove of the body member to permit a conductor to be introduced into said groove and being rotatable to position said opening in offset relation with respect to said groove to clampingly engage the conductor in said groove between the face of the bore of the clamping member and the base of the groove of said member.

2. A connector comprising a body member provided with a groove formed therein which is open at the outer surface of said body member and at one end thereof at least, said groove being adapted to receive a conductor having a diameter slightly greater than the depth of said groove in order that the conductor received by the groove will extend outwardly beyond the groove a slight distance, and a split clamping member possessing resiliency which is mounted for rotation on said body member, said clamping member being provided with a bore through which a portion of said body member extends and an elongated opening which extends transversely of the wall of said clamping member from the outer surface thereof to said bore, the wall of said bore of the clamping member and the surface portion of the body memberwith which said bore wall contacts for rotary movement with respect thereto being substantially parallel relative to the axis of the body member, said clamping member being rotatable relative to the body member to bring the opening thereof into alinement with the groove of the body member to permit a conductor to be introduced into said groove and being rotatable to position said opening in offset relation with respect to said groove to clampingly engage the conductor in said groove between the face of the bore of the clamping member and the baseof the groove of said body member.

3. A connector comprising a body member provided with a groove formed therein which is open at the outer surface of said body member, said'groove being adapted to. receive a conductor having a diameter slightly greater than. the depth of said groove in order that the conductor received by'the groove will extend outwardly beyond thegro'ovea slight distance, 'a splitclamping member mounted for rotation on said body member, said clamping member being provided with a bore through which a portion of said body member extends and an elongated opening which extends transversely of the wall of said clamping member from the outer surface thereof to said bore, the walli'of said bore of the clamping member and" the surface portion of the'body member with which said bore wall contacts for rotary movement with respect thereto bei'ngi substantially parallel relative to the axis of the body member, said Clamping member being rotatable relative to the body member to bring the opening thereof into alinement with the groove of the body member to permit a conductor to be introduced into said groove and being rotatable to position said opening in ofiset relation with respect to said groove to clampingly engage the conductor in said groove between the face of the bore of the clamping member and the base of the groove of said body member, and spaced abutment means forming parts of said body member between which said clamping member is inter posed.

4. A connector comprising a body member provided with opposed grooves formed therein which are open at the outer surface of said body member, said grooves being adapted to receive each a conductor having a diameter slightly greater than the depth of the groove in order that the conductor received by the groove will extend outwardly beyond the groove a slight distance, and a split clamping member possessing resiliency which is mounted for rotation on said body memher, said clamping member being provided with a bore through which a portion of said body memi ber extends and an elongated opening which extends transversely of the wall of said clamping member from the outer surface thereof to said bore, the wall of said bore of the clamping member and the surface portion of the body member with which said bore wall contacts for rotary movement with respect thereto being substantially parallel relative to the axis of the body member, said clamping member being rotatable relative to the body member to bring the opening thereof into alinement with one and then the other of said grooves to permit conductors to be introduced into said grooves and being rotatable to position said opening in offset relation with respect to both of said grooves to clampingly engage the conductors in the grooves between the face of the bore of the clamping member and the bases of the groove of said body member.

5. A connector comprising a body member provided with opposed grooves formed therein which are open at the outer surface of said body member and at one end thereof at least, said grooves being adapted to receive each a conductor having a diameter slightly greater than the depth of the groove in order that the conductor received by the groove will extend outwardly beyond the groove a slight distance, and a split clamping member mounted for rotation on said body member, said clamping member being provided with a bore through which-a portion of said body member extends and an elongated opening which extends transversely of the wall of said clamping member from the outer surface thereof to said bore, the Wall of said bore of the clamp ing member and the surface portion of the body member with which said bore wall contacts for rotary movement with respect thereto being substantially parallel relative to the axis of the body member, said clamping member being rotatable relative to the body member to bring the opening thereof into alinement with one and then the other of said grooves to permit conductors to be introduced into said grooves and being rotatable to position said opening in offset relation with respect to both of said grooves to clampingly engage the conductors in the grooves between the face of the bore of the clamping member and the bases of the grooves of said body member.

6. A connector comprising a body member provided with opposed grooves formed therein which are open at the outer surface of said body member, said grooves being adapted to receive each a conductor having a diameter slightly greater than the depth of the groove in order that the conductor received by the groove will extend outwardly beyond the groove a slight distance, a split clamping member mounted for rotation on said body member, said clamping member bein provided with a bore through which a portion of said body member extends and an elongated opening which extends transversely of the wall of said clamping member from the outer surface thereof to said bore, the wall of said bore of the clamping member and the surface portion of the body member with which said bore wall contacts for rotary movement with respect thereto being substantially parallel relative to the axis of the body member, said clamping member being rotatable relative to the body member to bring the opening thereof into alinement with one and then the other of said grooves to permit conductors to be introduced into said grooves and being rotatable to position said opening in offset relation with respect to both of said grooves to clampingly engage the conductors in the grooves between the face of the bore of the clamping member and the bases of the grooves of said body member, and spaced abutment means forming parts of said body member between which said clamping member is interposed.

ROY G. GRAHAM. 

